54: A private message from the Celestial Venerable of Tribulation Crossing!

How powerful was the Divine Thought of the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate? In an instant, he had browsed through nearly half of the ancient history of "Shrouding the Heavens". He saw the end of the Post-Desolate Era, the rise of the Azure Emperor, the hardships of the Human Race's Sacred Body, the tragedy of the Dark Turmoil... His heart grew heavier with every word described.

However, when he saw the records regarding the "mythological era", his calm Dao Heart, which was usually as still as an ancient well, was finally completely shaken!

He saw his own name—Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate!

He saw the records about himself—the first Heavenly Venerate of the mythological era, creator of the "Calamity-Crossing Heavenly Art", founder of the "Forward" Secret among the Nine Secrets, the progenitor of Source Arts... These records were accurate to the smallest detail!

"This... how is this possible?!"

Huge waves surged in his heart as he continued reading.

Then, he saw content that made his scalp tingle and his Divine Soul tremble.

[End of the First Life: In his later years, the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate discovered that the "Calamity-Crossing Heavenly Art" required accumulating Dao Fruits through the method of "burying one's own body to give birth to a new spirit." Thus, he buried himself in a hidden valley on the Big Dipper Star, leaving behind the first reincarnation seal. His corpse entered a state of suspended animation, awaiting revival in the second life.]

[Second Life · Underworld Emperor / Underworld Venerate: A thousand years after the self-burial, the corpse of the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate gained intelligence. The remnant soul merged with the corpse to be reborn. Under the identity of the "Underworld Emperor," he once again Attained the Dao, established the Underworld, and became the controller of the Great Dao of Reincarnation.]

[Opposing the Emperor Venerate: After the Emperor Venerate established the Ancient Heavenly Court, he intended to refine the Universe. The Underworld Emperor saw through his conspiracy and secretly coordinated with forces like the Longevity Heavenly Venerate to lay out a plan, becoming the core strength of the Anti-Heavenly Court Alliance.]

[War of the Heavenly Court: When the Emperor Venerate launched the Immortal Realm invasion plan, the Underworld Emperor led the army of the Underworld in rebellion. Joining forces with the Undying Heavenly Emperor and others, they severely wounded the Heavenly Court. The Emperor Venerate fled with heavy injuries, and the mythological era came to an end.]

[End of the Second Life: After the war, the Underworld Emperor's consumption was too great. He hid the core of the Underworld deep beneath the Big Dipper Star and buried himself in the Prison Suppressing Hall, leaving behind a second reincarnation seal to enter a new round of Reincarnation.]

... [Ninth Life · Duan De: ...Revived in the Post-Desolate Era, became close friends with the Sacred Body Ye Fan, and spent his days lingering in various Ancient Tombs... Eventually, he collected all nine reincarnation seals, merged them into one, and after Ye Fan and others entered the Immortal Realm, he Attained the Dao and achieved Immortal Ascension in the Mortal World...]

Rumble!!!

The Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate's mind went blank.

His Divine Soul, his indestructible Primordial Spirit, seemed to be struck by billions of Heavenly Tribulations simultaneously at this moment, nearly shattering!

Self-burial... the corpse gaining intelligence... becoming the Underworld Emperor... creating the Underworld... opposing the Emperor Venerate... burying himself again after being wounded in battle... Reincarnation life after life, burial and rebirth time and again.

He saw his future path. That "Nine-Life Reincarnation Path to Immortal Ascension" which he originally thought was full of hope and transcendence, now appeared to be a river of fate filled with loneliness, struggle, and powerlessness!

He, the first Heavenly Venerate of the mythological era, would actually become a master of the Underworld who governed death and Reincarnation in the future?

And what was even more unacceptable to him was that in his final life, he would actually become a... fat Taoist? An unscrupulous fat Taoist who grinned all day, followed behind others, and dug up graves everywhere?!

This intense contrast caused a crack to appear in his rock-solid Dao Heart.

"Fake... this must be fake! It's an illusion! It's the Emperor Venerate's conspiracy!"

He growled, wanting to banish this information from his mind.

But the information was so real, perfectly aligning with the ultimate Profound Truth of his own "Calamity-Crossing Heavenly Art", even explaining many subsequent changes that he himself had not yet deduced.

He knew that this was probably... true.

His life, his next two hundred thousand years, had already been written clearly by a "novel".

An unprecedented sense of powerlessness and desolation welled up in his heart.

He saw the defeat and death of the Emperor Venerate and the end of the mythological era, but he felt no joy. Because he also saw his own end. Although he eventually achieved Immortal Ascension, the process was too long and too lonely.

He was like a puppet with a pre-set program, following a predetermined trajectory, stepping toward that long-written ending.

"No... I cannot accept this!"

The Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate suddenly opened his eyes, which burst with an unprecedented light.

"I am the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate! My fate shall be controlled by myself! Not by some so-called 'book'!"

His gaze returned to the Chat Group interface, locking onto that name.

[Group Master · Wushi Great Emperor]

He remembered that the later parts of the "Shrouding the Heavens" novel recorded this Great Emperor's supreme elegance.

Innate Sacred Body of the Dao Embryo, Attaining the Dao in five hundred years, sweeping across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, suppressing all ages, killing until no one in the Forbidden Zones dared to emerge!

Even this Wushi Great Emperor had personally destroyed the Undying Mountain and startled the Underworld with a flick of his finger!

Wait... the Underworld?!

The Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate's pupils suddenly contracted.

The Underworld created by his future second life, the Underworld Emperor, was actually startled and forced back by a single finger of this Wushi Great Emperor after endless years?!

Moreover, what had this Wushi Great Emperor just said in the group?

[This Emperor does not need nine lives of Reincarnation. This Emperor can achieve Immortal Ascension in a single life.]

Immortal Ascension in a single life!

These words were like a bolt of lightning illuminating the endless darkness, instantly clearing the fog in the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate's heart!

That's it!

Since there was such an existence who broke the rules and surpassed fate, why should he still stick to that long and lonely path of nine-life Reincarnation?!

The Emperor Venerate was the enemy before his eyes.

And although this Wushi Great Emperor was in the distant future, his enemy was also the Emperor Venerate! It was the world cauldron left by the Emperor Venerate, the remnant soul of the Emperor Venerate!

They had a common enemy!

A bold, even crazy idea formed in the heart of the Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate.

He took a deep breath, composed his agitated Divine Thought, and then, with an unprecedented posture of near equality, sent his second message after joining the Chat Group.

He did not choose to send this message publicly, but instead used a function he had just learned—Private Chat.

The target of his private chat was none other than the Group Master, Wushi Great Emperor.

[Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate]: "Fellow Daoist Wushi, this poor Taoist Undergoing Tribulation offers his greetings."

...Heavenly Court, Hall of Miraculous Mist.

Wushi Great Emperor Fang Fan was sitting high on the imperial throne, overlooking the magnificent scene of all races coming to pay homage below, while planning his next moves.

Eradicate the Underworld, integrate the power of the Universe, repair his Dao foundation, and then open the Strange World, using those Ancient Supremes as cannon fodder to test the depth of the Emperor Venerate and the Undying Heavenly Emperor. Everything was under his control.

Just then, the notification sound of the Chat Group rang in his mind.

[Ding! "Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate" has initiated a private chat with you.]

Fang Fan's eyebrow twitched slightly.

Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate? Cao Yusheng? The first life of Duan De?

A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. How interesting. He was just about to take action against the future "Underworld," and as a result, the founder of the Underworld appeared before him in this manner.

He calmly opened the private chat interface.

[Tribulation-Crossing Heavenly Venerate]: "Fellow Daoist Wushi, this poor Taoist Undergoing Tribulation offers his greetings."